Re: [GreenYes] junk mail

["Sarah I. Wolpow" <swolpow@abacus.bates.edu>]

A few years ago a friend mentioned to me that he received about one piece of
unsolicited mail a month. I didn't even know this was possible until he
mentioned it. I have since managed to get my junk mail to a similar level. My
mother was so envious of my lack of mail that as a birthday present I offered
to do the work to reduce her mail. It was one of my most successful presents
ever, as she enjoys the "fruits" every day (and tells me frequently).

Here are two tips that don't always appear on the junk mail reduction web
sites. Do these 3 months AFTER you've done the obvious stuff (i.e., calling
Direct Marketing, calling the credit card opt out line, and telling any
companies on whose mailing lists you wish to remain that you don't want them to
sell or exchange your name).

1) Whenever you get unsolicited mail, call the company and find out where they
got your name. Then  call that company (the one that gave out your name) and
tell them to stop distributing your name. This can be a  lot of work, because
people don't want to tell you. Be persistent. It pays off if you want to get
rid of that last 5-10% of junk.

2) Most non-profits have a "reduced mail option." I called all the
organizations I support and asked them to send me only my membership renewal
notice and NO OTHER solicitations. If I want to give more than the renwal
amount I just do it at the same time I renew. It's much easier to manage
because now when I get a renewal notice I can just pay it rather than wondering
whether I just sent them money a few months ago.

Good luck
Sarah Wolpow
New Gloucester, Maine


Diana Kees wrote:

> Tom:
>
> The N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance has
> put together a special Web site to assist consumers in ridding their lives
> of junk mail. DPPEA's Just Say No to Junk Mail site can be accessed at
> http://www.p2pays.org/main/junk_mail_optout.asp. This site contains a junk
> mail terminator card, tips to avoid receiving junk mail, information about
> direct marketing, and links to other sites that can help you get rid of junk
> mail.
>
> Good luck!
>
> ****************************
> Diana Kees
> Public Information Officer
> N.C. Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
> Div. of Pollution Prevention and Environmental
>   Assistance
> 1639 Mail Service Center
> Raleigh, NC 27699-1639
> (919) 715-6515/6500
> diana.kees@ncmail.net
> www.p2pays.org
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 15:46:47 -0600
> From: TomT <TomT@mwes.com>
> Subject: [GreenYes] junk mail
>
> Gentlepeople,
>         I am wondering about the junk mail I receive.
>                 I always take the window off, toss it in the garbage and
> recycle the rest.
>         My question is whether it's worth the effort to remove the little
> window?  The little newsletter we receive quarterly in the mail regarding
> what we can and can not recycle says we can recycle envelopes.  What does
> that mean regarding the window?
>         And since I'm rambling, I try and inform all places that I do
> business with or donate money to to not rent or sell my name.  But I
> constantly get junkmail from credit card companies.  For awhile I sent
> requests to remove my name from their list.  Apparently they haven't.  Is
> there anything I can do?
>         What I've started to do is take their postage paid envelope and send
> them the rest of my junk mail.  While short-term satisfying, it's
> frustrating that they're wasting the resources to begin with and they're
> probably not recycling it when it goes back to them.
>         Thoughts?  Comments?
>                 Thanks!
>
> Tommy
>
> ------------------------------
>
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